Keynote: #ReconcileEarthDay

April 23, 2016
10am - 10:50am

Museum of Vancouver

On the 46th anniversary of Earth Day, we will hear from Indigenous leaders in our communities about reconciliation and resistance.

"Reconciliation begins with restitution for the hurt” starts Lee Maracle, as she considers how the reconciliation movement is playing out across Canada. In this session, Lee Maracle, one of the most reknowned Indigenous storytellers in Canada, and a foremost expert in Coast Salish history, talks about the connections between environmental defence, equity and political struggle. Be prepared for a powerful follow-up and breakdown to Friday night's keynote at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.

Then Joe Akerman will share insight from his experiences with grassroots mobilization of local media, government, Indigenous and Settler support to protect the Grace Islet First Nations cemetery on Salt Spring Island. His creative action based approach to leadership continues to challenge the colonial structures that often paralyze otherwise passionate people who are hungry for social change.